Day 1 and 2 Post Lap Nissen Surgery

Well, I'm on the other side! I had my surgery done yesterday morning at 9 AM. I had a hiatal hernia repair and laproscopic Nissen Fundoplication. My surgeon reported that things went well.

I did have one little complication. I have taken inhaled steroids for a long time for asthma, as well as having to take oral prednosone for about the past 10 days due to an asthma flare up. The doctor said that my tissue was very fragile as a result, so he took extra sutures in the hernia repair to ensure that it would hold.

Of course, I didn't know what to expect after waking up from surgery, and was pleasantly surprised. I had no nausea from the general anesthesia, my throat wasn't all that sore, and my lungs had handled the surgery well, with no asthma flare ups.

I had probably 3 doses of morphene through the day, before I switched to Lortab elixir. That worked very well, and is what I came home with.

My swallowing was a little spasmy at first, but got better as the day went on. I only had water all day, and a bit of chicken broth, and lemon ice at night.

Tips about the hospital stay:

Don't count on the nurses or dietary people to know what you should be eating and drinking.

Read lots about what to have and what to avoid.

I was greeted with a cup of water complete with straw. If I hadn't learned that straws are a no-no, I'd have gulped a lot of air into my stomach for no good reason.

I also had caffeinated tea on my dinner tray (which I switched out)

This morning I had a can of ginger ale and another straw. Also caffeinated coffee.

I had to ask for a gas-X product (simethicone) to be ordered, and it was a bit of a challenge to get it when I wanted it.

I'm home now, which is a huge positive.
Honestly, I've had much worse experiences with actual GERD episodes that burned my esophagus so badly that I couldn't eat a bite. This (so far) has been more comfortable than that. I've just got to remember not to get too feisty, and let myself heal.

IN THE HOSPITAL:
Everything went very easily. Pre-op and post-op procedures were fine. Recovery was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to expect, because I'd never had general anesthesia.

Once back in the room I just dosed on and off with the morphine. I didn't have any adverse effects from that, either. My swallowing wasn't as good in the beginning...little sips. As time went on, my swallowing got quite normal (water only), but I tried to be careful not to overload my stomach.

The nurse switched me from morphine to Loritab, so I could see if it was effective, since that's what they'd send me home with. It worked fine.

AT HOME:
Here I sit at the computer. I haven't had any pain meds since about 6 AM, so I'm feeling some discomfort.
Mainly in my left rib area...according to the resident, that's the port that gets the most activity and movement during the surgery.

I do have some of that famous left shoulder/collar bone are pain. They blame it on the co2 they pump into your gut so they can see what they're doing. It's uncomfortable, but bearable.

I had part of a soft scrambled egg, because I was really pretty hungry. It went down well, but I think my new valve is tired of working at the moment, and doesn't feel as good as it had when I didn't challenge it as much.

OVERALL:
While I know I'm in for some ups and downs, I feel that this is a very "doable" process, and I'm very glad I went through with this. I know that there are a lot of hurdles to pass, and I won't know of its ultimate success for quite a while.

I had to do this, though. Although the percentage for the lap Nissen's effectiveness in curing things other than GERD is only about 70-80%, I had to try this procedure. My doctors were just maintaining me. They had nothing else to help me, and really wanted me to give this a try.

Just before leaving for the hospital I had a severe GERD episode, and of course I could take nothing for it. I immediately started coughing and wheezing, and it took an nebulizer treatment in the hospital to get my lungs to calm back down. IT WAS A MESSAGE TO ME; This surgery will help your asthma, and the GERD definitely is irritating your lungs.

I stupidly did something I shouldn't have just now. I bit into a Dulcolax "softgel" to see if it was chewable, and got actually swallowed the liquid. It was quite irritating to my throat. Hopefully I haven't done something that will screw me up! Oh well...don't make that mistake!

I'll keep you posted.

That's good advice Teala. I have overdone it already. No sleep in the hospital, and so many well meaning friends calling--it's hard to really lay low--especially when your body is feeling pretty good. I hurt, don't get me wrong, but it's pretty manageable. I know you are absolutely right, and I'm going to take your advice immediately. I took a shower, and now I'm going to head to my bed to lay down for a while. Maybe I'll even get some sleep. That would be nice.
Thanks for your support! I'll continue to post my experience as the days go on. I know that I was looking for that type of information when I was trying to decide whether or not to do the surgery.
I'm not looking forward to my first "hairball!"
Take care,
Denise

I'm glad you're surgery went well. I wish I had a short hospital stay. I was in there for 6 days. Mostly because after surgery I was unable to urinate on my own. They ended up sending me home with me straight cathing myself. It was horrible.
I'm glad the Loritab is working well for you. I was sent home with loritab too, but my urologist advised me not to take it due to my bladder issue from surgery. So I just had to bear through the pain.

Have you sneezed yet? Whenever I sneezed or laughed the pain was horrible! So be careful.

Thanks for the good wishes, everyone. I didn't have any trouble at all urinating, so that might be one of the reasons they were able to send me on my way. My throat and stomach feel really irritated right now. I'm afraid I swallowed something that irritated my GI tract. (I bit into a dulcolax tablet and the liquid inside squirted it out, and was irritating right away. I feel like such an idiot).

I'm sure at this time it's normal to worry about everything. Did anyone have the experience of feeling that way? It could be just an irritated feeling from going through the trauma of the surgery. It could even be the way my esophagus is interpreting the swelling. Who knows. I'd appreciate any ideas.

I am still on prednosone, which is extremely tough on the stomach. I have to start tapering tomorrow...I'll take less and less as time goes on, unitil I'm off it. I'll be glad when that's done.

I think it was Teala that described the feeling of food getting stuck as a "hairball". I'm sure it'll be inevitable, and scary. Not looking forward to it, but when I do, I hope I'll be able to handle it.

My surgeon said I won't be able to burp or vomit. I can't imagine how I'll get the food out.

I'm glad I got out of the hospital. It's so hard to get anything you need there. Everything is a big ordeal. They never have enough help, and it's easier to be home and taking care of myself. I feel pretty good, actually.

Loritabs...my doc gave me a pill form, instead of elixir. I honestly don't know what the big deal is with prescribing elixir to people who aren't supposed to be eating solid foods. I crushed it up and put in in applesauce, with added sugar. Could that be irritating to my throat?

I got a little rest, this afternoon, but couldn't really sleep well. I did buy some Unisom sleep melts. Thanks for that advice!
Thanks again for all the help, advice and support.
I'll keep adding to my post as things progress.

dencha - coughing does hurt but it also helps after surgery so you "going for it" is a good thing. Your insides are in havoc right now even if you feel pretty good on the outside. That's where this surgery is tricky. You don't seem to have gone through much just to see those little cuts on your tummy but in reality it was a major surgery. I think you may have your tummy upset from the pill but I really don't think anything is messed up. If you feel nauseated be sure to take your anti nausea meds before you feel miserable and things get out of control. You have to remember to stay on top of how your feeling, it's very important to nip things in the bud.

After my surgery I figured that every time I did something and felt a pain that I screwed something up so I'm sure it's a normal thing for most post op patients to feel that way. Just take a deep breathe and relax, you will be fine.

Also about the burping... I do burp with no problems and I have spoke to others on here that do also. So i guess its common that you won't but on the other hand it is possible that you may be able to.

Teala

WOW! Denise that sounds totally absurd to me! It's not like narcotics or something. Gee weez That's strange why a doctor would say no to anti nausea meds  when it's very important to keep the nausea under control after this surgery. I would be calling that guy a few choice names.

Maybe you can have some otc meds handy until your normal doc gives you something. I guess since I have so much nausea that really seems bad to not have them just in case. Of course maybe I'm over reacting to it because of my yuckiness.

Teala

Hi Dencha, I'm glad you came out of your operation ok, also glad that you didn't find the procedure too difficult. The doctors sound like they are the same both sides of the pond, they just see the big picture. I can't believe they've never offered you anti-emetic meds just in-case you have nausea, thats silly. Well, I hope you managed to get some rest, just get a really really boring book and try to read it lol! That should make you sleep ;)

I will keep checking back to see how you are doing.

Jules x

Hi Denise

You sound like you are doing really well with your recovery....I am on day 11 of my recovery and am feeling pretty good! You are right around day 4 you take a bit of a dive but so far for me things seem to be getting better each day. I am eating mushy stuff now and haven't had any choking episodes....mushy pasta, oatmeal, mashed potatoes with gravy - I am craving crunchy stuff but I know that will be a while. Did your doctor prescribe you any stool softeners to take? Mine didn't and constipation is something I have been dealing with - I am now taking some stool softeners to help. I have also been able to have little burps which is great!

Even though I am feeling pretty good I am still trying to take it easy and not overdue it - I have already read two books.

p.s. after the third night my sleeps go much better and I was even able to sleep on my side.

Sarah

Hi Kitt,
I love the victory dance! Thanks for keeping this forum going! Your constant attention helps people feel heard until other posters get on and provide support and information. You and the entire support group has made a huge difference for me, and I totally appreciate all the support and advice. I'll definitely keep posting. It helps so much when you're considering surgery, to hear that others get through it, and understand what to expect.
Thanks again!
Denise

You don't need to jump to conclusions. Your vomiting issues probably irritated things and set you back. Hopefully, with continued healing you will recover and feel good again. Have you discussed your concerns with your surgeon?
Feel better and keep the faith!
Denise